Areas on State Game Lands may face full hunting season closure starting in 2015 - please read and respond MORE INFO >>>

Larry S writes: The PA Game Commission is considering restricting access to state game lands during hunting seasons, potentially shuttering access to many of our climbing areas during the best times of the year. See the thread here mountainproject.com/v/haycock-... .

This information is a public crowdsourcing effort between the Access Fund,
and Mountain Project.You should confirm closures, restrictions, and/or related dates.

Birdsboro has the most sport climbs of any open area in eastern Pennsylvania, on variable quality diabase rock. The quarry's website is back in action for the latest information, including the current topo.

It's a former quarry located on the north side of Trap Rock in Birdsboro, PA. Use cable bridges to cross Hay Creek twice, and follow the farting climber sign to the climbing areas. There are dozens of bolted sport routes ranging from 5.6 to 5.14. Climbs are located on the upper level and at the resevoir level. There are also multi pitch slab climbs located across the reservoir.

The first climbs here were put up by Bob Perna and friends, by these days it's being developed by Ted Coffelt and company. You can contribute to the bolt fund in a signed drop pipe where the trail reaches the quarry.

A single 60m rope does fine for most climbs here. Only the long slabs on the far wall are two real pitches, you need to do two raps if you do both.

Rock type: Diabase. Since the climbing walls are machine cut, there's more loose rock than in most natural climbing areas.

The Birdsboro Climbing website is the best place to learn about climbing here, and contact the crag's stewards and other Birdsboro climbers. It also has a link to Birdsboro climbing's Facebook group.

The quarry lies is in Birdsboro township. Given their good relationship with the climbing community, it's nice to reciprocate and patronize local merchants on your way in and out of the crag.

The local police occasionally use the quarry as a gun range.

Guidelines

Birdsboro Access The Birdsboro Climbing Area is public land owned by Robeson Township and managed by the Birdsboro Municipal Authority. Access and recreational usage is granted to us as a privilege not a right. As the land managers all users are required to observe all posted signs and regulations. The lower Water Reservoir is part of the Borough’s drinking water supply. No fishing or swimming is allowed. No deep water soloing is permitted. No fire rings are permitted. Please obey these rules.

•Remember, Climbers are Guests Here! If the Police or Birdsboro employees come out to use the shooting range we must vacate areas 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 13 until they are done.

•Top rope manners: Use quickdraws in top anchors. •Do not rappel or set top ropes above climbs off webbing anchors. •Do not remove fixed protection on climbs. •Do not tamper with or modify existing routes. •Ask the local climbers before establishing new routes. •Top Roping routes should be done using quickdraws, not running directly through anchors. •Lead climbers have the “right of way” when top rope lines are used for groups. Please respect each other and allow them to “play through” “on lead”. •Pets: Dogs are welcome provided they don’t bark obsessively, don’t growl/bark at climbers or other dogs. •Music: respect other climbers – ask before you blast. •Trash: Please carry it all out – organic waste, cigarette butts. •Camping is allowed for events and by request at other times. Please contact us for more information and permissions about camping. •No Fire Rings are allowed. This is a Wilderness Area restriction. •Swimming and fishing is prohibited in the reservoirs.

Getting There

Take 422 west, take a left on 345 into Birdsboro. Ignore the "road closed" signs and go all the way to the closure into Hay Creek Park. Cross the creek twice, using the cables (or walk through the creek). Please do NOT trespass on to Haines and Kibblehouse property.

Angles up and right to a good rest below a short, left-facing corner. Clip the bolt on the face left of the corner, not the old one on the right side of it. Technical crux is getting up this corner to the good holds above (and a bolt near the top of the corner).From there head out right on good hands. Head up before working back left near the top. The upper section has good holds and fun moves - don't get pumped out before the anchors.I found the anchors tricky to clip, but maybe I'm missing...[more]Browse More Classics in PA

Alright climbing. bolts are in good shape are replaced when needed. Wear a helmet! this is an old quarry and I've seen my climbing partner shift 2 coffee table size flakes no problem. Giant wall gets great sun and on a 40 degree sunny day can be quite enjoyable to climb. Does have some ice in winter, though top roping is sketchy to rig. Lower slabs have a tendency to be wet but offer some fun climbs.

BEWARE! Some rock is reglued!

Definitely not best climbing spot in the world, but one of the better ones in Eastern PA!

I'll be editing and adding in more information about the routes with some more detailed description of the climbing, bolt counts, anchor descriptions and some photos. Hopefully people do the same and help out. It's pretty tedious getting all these routes up and listed at once.

Luke, if you're interested in creating New Areas for each section at Birdsboro, you can go ahead and make them and fill them with routes.

I thought about creating new areas but decided against it. Birdsboro is kinda small and the idea of creating new areas for each section of the wall, then adding routes didn't seem to make much sense. More importantly, I wanted to be able to search for routes by grade throughout birdsboro using the "Routes best for me" feature. I put the name of the wall each climb is on in the "Location".

Ill be visting family in PA in few weeks and i think id like to climb here. what kind of traffic does it get mid august? i had no idea there was climbing like this in PA. how big of a rack should i bring? any trad or is it all bolted? Any info is appreciated, thanks.

A website has been created for birdsboro. It is a static site at this time. It presently only has a link to info. on the recently passed annual clean and climb. The site is birdsbororockclimbing.org As I understand it, further site development is forthcoming.

All, please join us for the climb and clean at Birdsboro quarry on September 25th/26th. Camping starts on Friday night. We will be cleaning and climbing all day on Saturday. Followed by a community dinner with entertainment and raffle (lots of great gear) on Saturday night at the Pavillion in Rustic Park. Sunday we will resume climbing and finish up any project work.

For those of you with non climbing friends, we will have equipment, ropes, belayers and we will set up some TRs.

I had a great time over the weekend at the quarry. Thank you to everyone that was very kind and helpful in pointing out good routes to do. I am definitely going to be investing in a helmet for the next time i go there.

I climbed at Birdsboro for the first time last weekend. While there, I onsighted Crackalicious- apparently a new 5.13. It was easily the best climb I did that day, but definitely not 5.13. The hardest I've onsighted before was 5.12a at softly rated areas (Red Rock, Potrero). I'm guessing more like an Indian Creek 5.11.

Hi my names Chris and I bolted Crackalicious. I would like to say awesome job to Ktlusci for being the first person to onsight Crackalicious. However I beleive the grade to be a 12b to 12c, especially if you consider all the grades of other climbs at the bird. Def. not a 13 as listed.One other person redpointed it before you, and I have the first accent on Trad gear. But Im very impressed that you got the onsight . Hope to see you out at the bird sometime in the spring. As for now cant wait for ice!!!

It is hard to compare an IC corner to Crackalicious. IC routes are more about overall fitness and sustained low-intensity movement, while Crackalicious has a definite crux move. I think that once/if Crackalicious receives more traffic its grade will fall into the 5.12 range.

All, please join us for the climb and clean at Birdsboro quarry on September 16th-18th. Camping starts on Friday the 16th. We will be cleaning and climbing all day on Saturday. Followed by a community dinner with entertainment and raffle (lots of great gear) on Saturday night at the Pavillion in Rustic Park. Sunday we will resume climbing and finish up any project work.

For those of you with non climbing friends, we will have equipment, ropes, belayers and we will set up some TRs.

I just heard that there was an accident at Birdsboro 5 weeks ago where a climber had a bolt blow, decked and broke her back. Does anyone have information on this accident or know where I can find some details?

Anthony, I know two climbers recovering from fractures that happened on falls at Birdsboro this summer. Fortunately both of them are recovering well. I also know a near miss happened this year on Jenga, where a falling rock severed the end of a rope, but in lucky circumstances where nobody was hurt.

These, and prior years' rappelling accidents, remind us to climb smart. All of these accidents involve common and inherent risks of sport climbing, and could have happened at any sport crag. I always wear a helmet at Birdsboro now, and read climbing accident reports to become aware of unsafe climbing habits I might have.

But Anthony, I wouldn't worry about your friends climbing here unless they're reckless about it. I've known people who fractured bones in gym falls.

Pete - the local police occasionally use the quarry as a gun range. A 60m rope will do fine with the lower offs on the big wall - It's not really two pitches... it's just got first anchors and second anchors. The long slabs are two real pitches, you need to do two raps if you do both.

I'm looking to head up to the quarry from NYC this friday and am looking to stay for the weekend. Is camping allowed at the quarry or nearby? if not can someone recommend somewhere to stay for 5 people, preferably camping.

I visited Birdsboro last weekend and I don't really know what to say. did 2 of the best 5.12's i've ever climbed! Admittedly there's a bit of loose rock but the majority is bomber. The scenic views and the awesome locals make this place a MUST GO destination. especially if venturing out from NYC.

Great news, the first cable bridge coming into the park has been fixed with a new pole courtesy of windstream communications and some helpful folks from the Birdsboro climbing group. the tree has been pulled out and a telephone pole put up in its place to fix how saggy and potentially dangerous the top cable was.